Game board



L. A. MARSH GAME BOARD Fi1ed.Apri1 e, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l 7 w z Il n r u n n Z 3 u u l. E l n .mwmmmmmmmwww mmmww n nl I 2 z a l l .0 0

T01? EYSZ April 14, 1925. 1,533,439

L. A. MARSH GAME BOARD Filed April 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 14 jg Fw 3 la /f j/ Iy- A433 2 .f LVM/5 ATTORNYS April 14, 1925.

L. A. MARSH GAME BOARD Filed April 9,' 1923,

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NVENTOR www A. MARSH Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

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LUoInN a. Mausi-1i, or Mirti VALLEY, carrronnra.

GAME EGARD.

Application filed April 9, 1923;. 1 Serial No; 63.1350; i

which is designed to expedite the 'playing and which is fitted i of the game,` Mahjongg,

with means tor accommodating the playing' elements ot the game, to prevent theintroin becoming injured or misplaced when the game is not in use. A,

In carrying out this object I `provide a. gaine board having a rectangular case in its center which` is movable to permit `it to `torni guide means around which wal-ls oi: the playing pieces of the game may be built. The board is alsok litted with racks, the positions of which are adjustable that they may be disposed fiush with the surface ot the board or in other positions supporting the playing elements constituting the players hands at desired angles ot inclination.

One form :which the invention may as-` sume is enempliiied in the yfollowing description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which v:-d

Fig. l is a plan `view of the preerreifl torni ot the invention with parts broken away to clearly disclose its construction.

Fig. 2 is a .perspectii'f'e view or the case disclosing its construction.

Fig. 3 is 'a view in section through the device taken on vline 3%3 ot Fig. l showing the elements in normal position.

Fig. Li is a similar` section view with the elements in a second position.

Fig. 5 is a section through the taken on line 5 5 of Fig. elements in normal position. Y

Fig. 6 is a similar section view showing` the elements ina second position.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view oi the reciprocable slide.

Figs. 8 and 9 are 'fragmentary views .in section the construction and device 'l showing the showing mounting ot the racks..v

, from the pla fers interest in the Oame.

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Fig 10 is a lperspective view of one ot the racks.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 1G designates a game board ot desire proportions, having a playing surface l1 and raised marginal edge 1Q.. he latter is :formed by` side members 14 secured about the perimeter oi the board. The side members may be ot any height suilicieut to maintain the board .slightly elevated :from its support. In `this instance the side members are rabbeted along their inner surfaces to accommodate the top `of a standard card table, which is litted with'. legs and is ot a proportion agreeing with4 the suritace area ot a board for playing Mah-jongg. lt is understood that the gaine board itself may be fitted with rigid lor l folding legsi'f desired.

The orienta-l game of Mah-jongg alluded to is played with a considerable number ot flat oblong playing pieces or tiles ot lequal dimensions. One surface ci each ot these tiles is marked with distinctive characters or legends, representing different factors of the game.` At the beginning oil the gaine the tiles are placed in four singlerows arranged to form aperi'cct square. In thel game this is termed building the wall. The

sides ot this square each comprises an equal number oi the playing pieces andfor the convenience of all ot the players it is de lsirable that the square be formed as nearly as possible in the center of the tableor game board so as to insure accuracy and uniformity in the setting up` of the tiles and toprovide each player with an equal aud adequate amount of playing space between the walls7 and the edge ofthe board or table.- It has been `found ditiicult and tedious to arrange the playing pieces in proper position and correct numbers tol torni the walls on a plane playing surface, usually requiring considerable time which detracts expeditethe `forming ot these walls, the

center ot the playing surface et the board l() is formed with a square aperture lb in which a vertically movable case 1G is` mounted. `l?reterabiy the dinu-rusionsoit each side of the case exactly agree with the overall dimension of a row ot' pieces built ot a predetermined number.

rlChe case i7 is formed with sides `18,y a bottom i9 and a hinged cover 20, andis fic vertically movable in the aperture so that the case 17 may be raised so that the edges of the ,cover will form guides along which the walls may be built. It should be stated that it is necessary for the surface of the board to be unbroken at times, so that the playing pieces may be shufiied about the board with their charactered faces down, which takes place previous to start-l Aforward movement of the slide, which is intended to raise the case 17, is limited by the engagement of the cams 26 with the underside of the playing board. The forward movement of the slide is sufficient for the cams to raise the edges of the cover 2O above the playing surface of the board and to place the top edges of the sides 18 of the case 17 flush with the playing surface.

The inward movement of the slide is limitedv so that the top of the case may be lowered flush with the playing surface. l/Vhen the slide is in its outermost position the edges of the cover of the case 17 are a distance above the surface of the playing board forming the guides described for the accommoda-y tion of the playing pieces when building the wall. lVhen in this position the cover 2O of the case may be raised and all the tiles on the board be placed in the case for safe keeping when the game is not in use. This is a considerable advantage as it requiresl but little of the players time and prevents the tiles from becoming misplaced. y

The slide may be reciprocated to raise or lower the case 17 by a rod 27 fitted with a knob 28 located at one side of the game board.

During the course of the game each player accumulates a `group of tiles, which is termed the players hand Each player must maintain the characters on his group of tiles concealed from the other players and must refer to them at each play toV determine the course he inust pursue.

The space 30 adjacent each side of the table is termed the players playing space, where he vmay arrange his hand. In this space, adjacent each side of the table, the playing surface is formed with a groove 31. These grooves are of dimensions which agree with rack members 32 which are connected to the board by hinges 83. Vhen the rack members are in normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the surface of the board is smooth and uninterrupted. However, when the racks are raised as shown in Figs. 4,6, and 8, they support the tiles at a slight anglefrom the vertical. This angle is sufficient to permit each player to distinguish the characters ony the tiles constituting his hand, but not sufficient to reveal each players hand to the others. It is seen that when the fillers are in down position the surface of the board is smooth, permitting the tiles to be properly shuiiled about the surface of the board. The racks may bc yieldably held in either of three positions by spring latch members 32a. When a player accumulates a winning hand7 he may lower his rack to disclose the same to the other players. Tn this position the rack appears as shown in Fig. 9.

Tn use, the device is mounted on a suitable support and playing pieces of the game are spread out over the playing surface of the board and shuiiled. During this operation the top of the case 17 and the racks are maintained .Hush with the surface of the board. It is obvious that during the shuffling operation the raised marginal edges of the board will prevent the pieces from falling off the board and becoming lost.

When the tiles have been sufliciently shuffled, the case 17 may be raised to form guides as described, to define a square around which the tiles may be placed to build the walt As the guides are of a length to accommodate a required number of the tiles, it is obvious that the wall may be expeditiously formed and will contain the correct number of tiles.

During the game, the players may raise the racks to the position shown in Fig. 8 to support their hands on an angle to the vertical. The player accumulating a winning hand may lower the rack as described to disclose it to the other players.

It is obvious that the mounting of the racks will prevent them from becoming misplacedy or broken when the table is not in use.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a comparatively simple and generally improved game board upon which walls of tiles may be easily and quickly arranged and which is fitted with a convenient storage place for the auxiliary playing elements of the game, when the latter are not in use, to prevent them from becoming misplaced and lost.

While T have shown and described the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it is to be understood that various changes in its construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what lll I claim and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent is l. A game board for playing a gaine einploying flat oblong playing pieces, said gaine `board having a playing surface formed with a rectangular opening at the center thereof, a rectangular hollow case having a hinged cover, said hollow case snugly fitting within said opening and vertically movable therein, the dimensions of the sides of said hollow :ase being such as to accommodate a predetermined number of playing pieces, said case being normally disposed with the top surface of said cover flush with the playing surface of the board, and operable means for vertically 'ioving said case and for niaintaining the top surface thereof slightly above the surface of the gaine board, Whereby the sides of said case may serve as guiding means against which walls containing a pre-determined number of playing pieces .may be built.

2. A game board having a playing surface with a rectangular opening at the center thereof, a hollow case having a hinged cover mounted in said opening and vertically movable therein, said case being normally dis a posed within the top surface of said cover flush with the playing surface, a recipro cable slide below the case, and co-operating means on the slide and the case adapted to vertically move the case when said slide is operated.

3. A game board having a playing` surface with a rectangular opening at the center thereof, a hollow case having a hinged cover mounted in said opening and vertically movable therein, said case being normally disposed within the top surface of said cover flush with the playing surface, a reciprocable slide below the case, and co-operating cams on the slide and the case adapted to vertically move the case when said slide 1S operated.

LUCIEN A. MARSH. 

